There was one feature of Marcia Erickson’s Julian Street home that stood out when she purchased it with her husband.

“It was across the street from Backus. When we bought our house, that was one of the deciding factors, so I could volunteer,” Erickson said.

That was more than 50 years ago.

These days, the 78-year-old is still a daily presence at The William W. Backus Hospital, one of 500 volunteers who put in more than 45,000 hours of combined service in 2012.

She was among the guests of honor during Backus’s 36th annual Volunteer Awards and Recognition Brunch at the Holiday Inn on Friday for her 45 years of contributions.

It’s a chance for hospital administrators to honor their own while celebrating the contributions of people from across the region who help keep Backus’ network of services running smoothly, President and CEO David Whitehead said.

“ ‘Volunteers’ doesn’t go as far to describe what you are. You are an inspiration to all the doctors at Backus,” Whitehead said. “You come serve us, because it’s what you like to do.”

In the wake of recent tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings and the Boston Marathon bombings, looking for the good in people has become a deep source of strength, Whitehead said.

“Over the last few weeks and months, we’ve been shaken by disasters. These sorts of events cause us to look for the good and hold it up as an example of hope,” Whitehead said. “Every day at Backus, there are acts of selflessness. People come without any thought of compensation or any need for recognition.”

Erickson, a greeter in Backus’ same day surgery center, has experienced the hospital’s huge growth firsthand in the decades since she started volunteering.

“It’s completely changed. When I first started, the parking lot out front was a beautiful green lawn. We used to have fairs there,” she said.

Mary Brown, director of volunteer and guest services at Backus, said the hospital’s volunteers range in age from teenagers to people in their 90s and serve in one of 77 available jobs.

With Friday’s function falling on Arbor Day, Backus Vice President Keith Fontaine used a tree metaphor to thank those in attendance for their dedication.

“Trees, like volunteers, are symbols of everlasting hope,” he said. “Like you, trees multiply their presence.”

Erickson said she has no plans to scale back her time in Backus’ halls.